Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder and first king of the Achaemenid Empire, who ruled vast areas of Asia for 30 years, between 559 and 529 BC. In his cylinder, Cyrus describes himself as "the son of Kamboja, the great king of Anshan, the descendant of Cyrus, the great king of Anshan, the descendant of Chishpish, the great king of Anshan, from a family that has always been king."